Another banger by Ebi-hime

Ashes is a short story of about 4-5 hours and if it wasn't obvious already, this is a dark story with a not-so wholesome plot.

When is love no longer love? When do your own thoughts consume you? Its scary how sometimes you're on the fence when reading through the main character's monologue but the well laid out thoughts and flash-back instances caught me.
The plot is segmented into 4 acts and its a nail biter towards the end

There IS more than a couple instances of misogyny ( most of the characters are represented as the evils of humanity, including the main character) so it might upset some readers, but other than that, a solid read!

I'd compare this to the literary equivalent of watching someone play a lengthy and spirited game of hide-and-seek. With a corpse. Of someone they just killed.

It'll certainly stick in your head for quite a while after.

If the short synopsis appeals to you, I recommend getting this game and giving it a read without delving deeper into the description or screenshots - some of them revealed parts of the plot unnecessarily, but that said it was still a worthwhile read. Good writing and music as well as likable (even if questionable) characters made this a thoroughly entertaining experience.

The writing had some quirks, but overall the novel was well-written (and I'm usually quite critical when it comes to this). The characters felt developed and the dialogue between them was often very amusing and immersive. Take note that there are no choices, but even if there had been I frankly would've probably picked what the characters chose anyway, so I wasn't bothered.

If you're into this type of love story with a twisted motherly-son dynamic, you'll love this, but even if that's not your usual jam, you'll likely still be entertained as I was.

All Ashes and Illusions is another ebi-hime's novel that though as usual caused great emotions and goosebumps still typically felt uncomfortable:) with miserable characters, sigh T_T Sometimes, I wonder if I'm some kind of a masochist keeping reading her novels one after another, suffering but still utterly enjoying the process anyway XD

Praises:
+soundtrack is just perfect for the story! It feels so immersive and atmospheric!
+free dlc patch with adult content, intimate scenes are quite pretty
+art is beautiful in general, a very pleasant read in this regard
+achievements, though profile features limited.
+chapters with names, seen in save slots.
+author's notes. It's always great to learn how the story was being written and the writer's thoughts about it, quite a unique opportunity, a real gift to the fans.
+writing is superb as always <3
+STORY! Welp, and here I'm going to talk in a more detailed way. And it's going to be spoilerish, sorry. Again, it hurt to read! I suffered with that boy a lot :( First, when he was devoid of simple human happiness as a child, he never learned what mother's love meant or father's actually as well. Being a king's son he never had a true friend, then after he grew up a little, his nursemaid had to leave and he had to suffer being alone.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3131924280
That loneliness was devastating :( I enjoy being alone, I never have enough time doing what I like, I always loved that Latin proverb stating that friends just steal your precious time. But then I recollected that book I read at uni (don't remember the name, I'm bad at it) but there a true loneliness was mentioned. As it's actually different when you have relatives who still care about you and may call occasionally, or some classmates or old acquaintances may reappear in your life even briefly, being absolutely alone is totally different. That kind of loneliness feels wrong making you crave some connection.

MC's obsession didn't stir any negative feelings in me, I didn't perceive them as fake. All that psychological explanation as loving his nursemaid as she was the only close person, some kind of mother substitute and similar stuff doesn't convince me. Even if it all that was the real root of his perverted love I still believed he loved her. His feelings were so intense I even thought maybe there should be some different term to his obsession, so strong and destructive it felt.
I agree with the author's words in the notes that all the characters deserved happiness, I liked them all but they were all miserable anyway :( MC is definitely a criminal but I couldn't just dislike him for that( I guess his pain was presented too vividly so I just couldn't blame him for trying to improve his mental state even by those inhuman means. But then again, is he really the only one to blame if he was brought up as a king, I guess he could feel his happiness is justified by any means. I'm glad he learned what happiness meant anyway even if it was an illusion but he believed in it so much, so wasn't it real?!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3134141797
I kept thinking that if actually this story was written from Saffy's pov, if she were the main character, not the poor boy. Would I hate him for what she had to go through? Because rn now, the way the story is presented I can't help but feel sorry for him and not for her. He did that cruel act of crime for love's sake and she has been plotting her revenge for years for hatred's sake. I just can't sympathize with her :( I'd prefer her being totally honest with him and choose death if needed. I wonder if mc would go that far though. So, for all those years she forced herself to smile and suffer for what?! It didn't make her happy as a result, it didn't bring back her beloved, so...? It felt too calculated and cruel. If the poor boy had some excuses stemmed from his traumatizing childhood, she was supposed to be a smart ADULT, so why?!

Anyway, now, just having finished the story, again I feel some kind of emptiness and sadness, that life couldn't have a happy ending for them. I believed, I hoped strongly against all hope that she actually managed to find some happiness in their family life, that she managed to accept his abnormal, amoral love:( couldn't she feel how sincere he was?! Plus, being wise and having figured out the real cause of those tragic deaths, still she couldn't be 100% sure, there's always a possibility that it was just an accident, life can be cruel just because. I was reading those intimate scenes, how mc was finally overcome with happiness, no matter how delusional it truly was, but I couldn't relax and just enjoy that, I felt greatly anxious constantly anticipating smth cruel from her in return. And it took her lots of timexD It felt so new and intense for me too.

Not only those two were so miserable, mc's cousin's tragic fate touched me greatly too. Actually his father's, and mother's, and uncle's lol :)) The very first sentence of the story mentioned death, and then it continued to be one of the main dire topics. Sigh, not that I expected anything fluffy and sweet from ebi-hime but her stories always succeed in making me suffer, I'm always totally unprepared for all that :(

Complaints:
--typos;
--kinetic novel (welp, nothing bad about it per se, that's how ebi-hime's novels are written but I can't do anything about my preferences, I'd like to influence the plot)
--more save slots would be appreciated to have the whole collection of scene names.
--It was totally new to imagine (I always self-insert) relationship with great age gap when it's a woman much older. I don't remember any similar experience. But it would be so much more immersive if she actually looked old the way she's described with some wrinkles at her eyes or with slightly saggy breast at the end but in all those CG she looked VERY young, it felt so off:(

So, if you are willing to suffer with all the characters, try this tragic, disturbing but still well-written, decently made story.

All Ashes and Illusions is a very good visual novel game with a beautiful story. The graphics are nice and the soundtrack is relaxing... The ebi-hime games are really great!!! I highly recommend it. 💗

Note: There is a free adult patch although I chose to play the censored version.

All Ashes and Illusions is a kinetic visual novel developed and published by ebi-hime. You take on the role of Yuel, a young prince who has just witnessed the execution of his mother, as ordered by the king. Why was his mother executed? It was for the crime of infidelity, specifically for sleeping with the king's brother. King Khalil has Yuel witness his mother's death to instill an important lesson - that women will be men's downfall. However, witnessing this event traumatizes Yuel, who ends up seeking comfort in the arms of his nursemaid, Safiya. Years later, Khalil dies due to illness, so Yuel ends up becoming king. However, he has never forgotten about Safiya, having grown to love her to the point of obsession. Basically, he'll do anything to have her, and I'll stop my story synopsis here to avoid spoilers and all that.

As for the gameplay, the story is linear, so no choices are presented. You simply play through from beginning to end. There are a total of four acts, starting from when Yuel witnesses his mother's exection to when Yuel is king and he ends up dying. Several CGs are presented, and there's a varied soundtrack although no voice acting. Also, there are a few Steam achievements although they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "profile features limited".

Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique. I've played a lot of visual novels by ebi-hime at this point, and I've enjoyed many of the stories. There's quite a variety. Compared to some of ebi-hime's VNs, All Ashes and Illusions has a darker tone. When the story starts off with Yuel witnessing his mother's death, yup, you can guess that it isn't going to have a happy story. lol I enjoyed this darker tone, though, and as I was in the mood for such a story, I wanted to give this visual novel a try. Anyway, I like how it starts with Yuel witnessing that tragic event, and then we witness the close bond he has with Safiya, his nursemaid. His love for her blossoms very early on although it is initially more of an innocent love. As Yuel gets older and Safiya is dismissed because Yuel no longer needs a nursemaid, that innocent love turns into obsession and Yuel is no longer the same person as he was as a boy. When Yuel visits Safiya as an adult, even Safiya notices this. However, as Safiya is of a lower status, she obeys Yuel without question. I'll do my best not to spoil what happens from here on out, but let's just say that there are some tragic events, like executions and an ending that may or may not be expected. (I expected that ending to happen, though, based on some good guessing on my part. XD) I should give a heads up, though, that there are some scenes that depict sexual acts and violence, so do be forewarned. I enjoyed reading this story with a dark tone although it might be depressing to read if you get attached to particular characters.

As for the writing, I found it pretty well-paced. I like how ebi-hime divides the story into four acts, with the first act narrating Yuel's childhood, specifically the times that he spends with Safiya. The other acts depict Yuel as an adult, shortly from the time that he's still a prince to his ascension as king and such. I noticed a few grammatical errors, but they're really minor and they're not a hindrance to enjoying the story.

In regards to the art, it is gorgeous, as is usually the case in this developer's visual novels. As the story takes place in a fictional Middle Eastern kingdom, the backgrounds and character sprites are drawn and colored appropriately to reflect that. They have that darker tone, which is appropriate, considering that the story itself has a dark theme. CGs are beautifully drawn and colored, too. If I had one issue, though, it's a personal one in which I felt like Safiya's bosom was a little too big, but maybe that's just me. Regarding the music, the tracks are beautiful to listen to, depicting that whole Middle Eastern atmosphere well. There's a bit of variety and a couple of tracks even have some lovely vocals.

Overall, would I recommend All Ashes and Illusions? If you enjoy reading visual novels, are especially a fan of the ones by ebi-hime, and don't mind dark, disturbing themes, then this is worth taking a look. I found it quite an enjoyable read and I think the important lesson to be learned here is never to let admiration/love become obsession. lol For the asking price, I'd say that it might be a bit on the steep side, considering that it took me about 5.5 hours to complete the story and get all of the achievements. Thus, it might be best to wait for a sale, but it's totally worth reading. ^^

Flying free and writing reviews solely for The Introverted Gamer.

All Ashes and Illusions is a very ebi-hime kind of visual novel, both harsh and nostalgic. Expect excellence in audio, visuals, and narrative. ebi clearly poured herself into this, with inspired love for the setting and a breadth of knowledge to weave a compelling period drama. Tha's done a good 'un, little miss.

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All Ashes and Illusions
Developer: ebi-hime
Publisher: ebi-hime
Children say all sorts of things, they possess an untainted bias for their caretakers. Sometimes they say things like, "I love you! I want to marry you!". It's all fun and as they get older they start to understand more on the world around them. Now what happens when a child's love doesn't change when they grow into an adult? In ebi-hime's "All Ashes and Illusions" , it turns into an unhealthy obsession, one fueled by selfish desires and the will to do anything to get what they want.
The story begins with a young six year old Yuel, witnessing his mother's execution set up by his father. This leaves him in the care of his nursemaid, Safiya. To Yuel, she is the love of his life. To Safiya, he is a boy that will grow into a proper man. The years go by; Yuel becomes king and Safiya no longer serves as a his nursemaid and resides with her husband and child. The years might've gone by, but Yuel's desire for Safiya remains the same and he now has the capability to get her.

1.:
The story is a good depiction of how the lack of parental support can have an effect on what that child becomes. Yuel wasn't close to his mother nor his father, the only one who was there for him was his nursemaid, Safiya. She did her best to support him as much as she could but Yuel's love for her was just too great that adolescence did not skew his ways. It shows just how much an obsession can become if the person is given the right set of tools to make his way to his goal. In Yuel's case, he did the worse possible action in exchange for his selfish desire, the murder of Safiya's husband and child.
After reading this, it makes you think "Should I root for Yuel? Is he still the hero he thinks he is?". Even the ending gives you that feeling that no one really won.
2.
There is a total of 4 key character, 5 if you separate young Yuel and adult Yuel. Child Yuel was untainted, he was still learning and had the childlike desire to be Safiya's knight in shining armor. Adult Yuel still loves Safiya however has not grown mentally. He lashes out at those who speak wrongly of Safiya to the point where it leads to violence. He also does not understand that love has to go two ways and can't be only on what he wants. Tavi is Yuel's cousin, he a little more outgoing and can be called an irresponsible person. However, Tavi has changed and actually wants to be close with Yuel as he is his only family and wants to genuinely advise him that his idea is wrong. Safiya is Yuel's nursemaid and love interest, she is written one dimensionally on purpose for the story. Do not take this as a bad thing, it works for her favor as I will explain more once I get to the cons. Finally, Armand is one of Yuel's consultants, he is old, wise, and hopes for the best for the kingdom even if they ruler may not agree to his wishes. I think the characters are well written and do their best in the harsh environment they live in.
3.
I like the art, the characters done by julioalqae and renmiou look good along with the CG art helping enhance scenes such as Safiya comforting a young Yuel or the sex scenes showing some of the humiliating things Safiya must go through. The backgrounds consist mostly of the Yuel's room or around the kingdom but they do an excellent job in showing how Yuel is surrounded buy royalty and wealth.
For the list, here are the artists:
Character Art: julioalqae
Additional Art: renmiou
Background Art: Foxeleos, Fuyunokawa
4.
The music by yuzuki simply does not miss. All the track is fantastic in setting the mood like the beginning where Yuel witnesses his mother's corpse piked up or even the theme that possesses vocals by chiisana that has two versions, the normal one and the melancholic variant. I especially love the melancholic version as when I finished reading the story, I just sat there questioning if anyone won. Excellent work and I hope yuzuki can continue working with ebi-hime in the future.
Another part of the music I enjoy is being able to read the composer notes. It's that small thing that you might not pay attention to at first, but it shows a great deal in how the composer's thought process goes into making these tracks and how to incorporate it into the story.





1.
Now going back to where I said that Safiya's character is one dimensional, it absolutely works for this story as it is a one sided love story. We are seeing everything in Yuel's eyes and selfish deeds. One thing I wish that Safiya had was a bit more at the end where Yuel dies is a scene showing her days with her family before their terrible fate occurred. We understand the pain but changing point of view so we see a better look into Safiya's mental state would definitely have added more to Safiya's background and our sympathy/empathy toward her.


All Ashes and Illusions is what the title means. This story has no winners and is absolutely devastating for everyone, including the reader themself. An excellent story with that painful spice and fantastic soundtrack.



Score: 9/10 OUTSTANDING

A story that's very painful at times, but Safiya is the best.

Pure, high-quality suffering for the whole family.

I could leave it at that, but I'll also mention that the writing felt very authentic. Everyone acted in way one would expect people to act in that sort of setting and it was properly immersive. The characterization was competent, in that even the 'terrible' characters still felt like humans with some layers to them.